Blog Post #1 - The Stonestreet Brothers: From Convicts to Colonists

St Thomas a Becket Church and the Pyramid Folly, Brightling, Sussex. Photo from Brightling Community.

In 1824, three brothers stepped off the convict ship Mangles and into a strange, hot land they never expected to call home.

Moses, William, and Levi Stonestreet were young men from Sussex, England — sentenced and transported for crimes they’d spend the rest of their lives atoning for. But what followed wasn’t just hardship. It was legacy.

These brothers didn’t just serve their time. They carved farms out of stubborn earth, married, raised children, and helped shape the central west of New South Wales. Today, 200 years later, the Stonestreet name runs strong through Blayney, Kings Plains, Greghamstown, and beyond.

🚢 From Sussex to Sydney Cove

They arrived in chains. But like many convicts of the time, they had a skillset the young colony needed — farming, carpentry, strength, grit.

The Mangles docked in Sydney in 1824. From there, the brothers were likely assigned to landowners or government work programs. Eventually, each gained freedom and land. They didn’t go back to England. They made a new future here — for themselves and for hundreds of descendants.

🧬 The Three Brothers

• Moses Stonestreet (1786–1842)
  The eldest brother. He settled early and lived a quieter life. His descendants are fewer in number but still connected to the wider family line.

• William Stonestreet (1795–1881)
  Lived a long life and had many children. He is the ancestor of several Bathurst and Kings Plains branches.

• Levi William Stonestreet (1799–1874)
  Perhaps the best documented, Levi married Ann West and established a large family — many of whom remained in the Kings Plains and Blayney district. His line includes farmers, soldiers, bakers, horse breeders, schoolteachers, and storytellers.

🪦 200 Years On

In 2024, we marked 200 years since the brothers arrived. What began with three men in shackles has grown into a proud, sprawling family tree rooted in Australia’s convict past — and full of laughter, resilience, and connection.

This blog series — Stonestreet Stories — will share tales from the paddocks, kitchens, schoolyards, and shearing sheds of this family. Some stories are hilarious. Some are heartbreaking. All of them are worth remembering.

💬 Know which brother you're descended from? Leave a comment or send in your line — we’d love to feature family trees and side-branches in future posts.

📚 Next up: Clifton Convict Quarters – The First Home of the Stonestreet Brothers